Toyota 4RUNNER Problems by Year
NHTSA has 5,576 owner complaints and 44 safety recalls on file for the Toyota 4RUNNER, across 32 model years (1995–2026). The 2003 model year has the most complaints (695). The most reported problem area overall is structure.
Toyota 4RUNNER years to avoid? What the complaint data shows
These model years drew at least twice as many complaints as a typical 4RUNNER year: 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006. Look at what owners reported before buying one, and check the VIN for open recalls.
Model years with the most complaints
- 2003 4RUNNER: 695 complaints, 3 recalls
- 2004 4RUNNER: 678 complaints, 2 recalls
- 2000 4RUNNER: 483 complaints, 0 recalls
Model years with the fewest complaints
- 2026 4RUNNER: 7 complaints, 2 recalls
- 2024 4RUNNER: 9 complaints, 1 recall
- 2009 4RUNNER: 22 complaints, 6 recalls
Complaint counts are not adjusted for how many cars were sold or how long each year has been on the road, so newer and less popular years naturally have fewer complaints. Use them to spot problem patterns, not as a safety ranking.
Most common Toyota 4RUNNER problems (all years)
| Problem area | Complaints | Model years | Crashes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Structure problems | 1,789 | 28 | 33 |
| Suspension problems | 905 | 30 | 47 |
| Air Bags problems | 523 | 31 | 150 |
| Power Train problems | 405 | 30 | 17 |
| Engine and Engine Cooling problems | 362 | 16 | 5 |
| Steering problems | 310 | 30 | 32 |
| Service Brakes problems | 285 | 28 | 22 |
| Electrical System problems | 248 | 31 | 4 |
| Vehicle Speed Control problems | 238 | 26 | 60 |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic problems | 236 | 18 | 30 |
| Tires problems | 193 | 22 | 16 |
| Engine problems | 149 | 27 | 5 |
| Wheels problems | 104 | 28 | 9 |
| Visibility | 89 | 20 | 0 |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 78 | 18 | 1 |
| Seats | 76 | 19 | 5 |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 69 | 24 | 1 |
| Visibility/wiper | 64 | 19 | 2 |
| Seat Belts | 59 | 22 | 14 |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) | 55 | 17 | 5 |
| Exterior Lighting | 39 | 20 | 1 |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 34 | 17 | 1 |
| Fuel System, Other | 32 | 7 | 0 |
| Equipment | 31 | 14 | 2 |
| Traction Control System | 24 | 8 | 0 |
| Forward Collision Avoidance | 18 | 9 | 5 |
| Back Over Prevention | 16 | 8 | 1 |
| Parking Brake | 8 | 6 | 3 |
| Interior Lighting | 6 | 5 | 0 |
| Lane Departure | 6 | 5 | 0 |
| Child Seat | 5 | 5 | 0 |
| Service Brakes, Air | 5 | 4 | 1 |
| Service Brakes, Electric | 5 | 4 | 0 |
| Equipment Adaptive/mobility | 4 | 4 | 2 |
| Carry Handle, Shell, Base | 3 | 3 | 0 |
| Trailer Hitches | 3 | 3 | 0 |
| Chest Clip, Buckle, Harness | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| Electronic Stability Control | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Fuel System, Diesel | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Other/i Am Not Sure | 1 | 1 | 0 |
Toyota 4RUNNER problems by model year
Problem areas with enough reports for their own page.
- 2012: air bags (70)
- 2011: air bags (112)
- 2010: air bags (92)
- 2006: structure (143) · suspension (65)
- 2005: structure (185) · suspension (77)
- 2004: structure (310) · suspension (113) · service brakes (57)
- 2003: structure (284) · suspension (114) · engine and engine cooling (89)
- 2002: structure (88)
- 2001: structure (81)
- 2000: structure (256) · suspension (102)
- 1999: structure (112) · suspension (66)
- 1998: structure (78) · suspension (60)
- 1997: suspension (95) · structure (76)
- 1995: engine and engine cooling (107)
All Toyota 4RUNNER model years
| Model year | Complaints | Recalls | Crash rating | Top problem | Compared with other years |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 4RUNNER | 7 | 2 | 4★ | Power Train | |
| 2025 4RUNNER | 60 | 1 | 4★ | Service Brakes | Fewer complaints than other years |
| 2024 4RUNNER | 9 | 1 | 4★ | Structure | |
| 2023 4RUNNER | 32 | 1 | 4★ | Unknown or Other | Far fewer complaints than other years |
| 2022 4RUNNER | 39 | 3 | 4★ | Unknown or Other | Far fewer complaints than other years |
| 2021 4RUNNER | 36 | 1 | 4★ | Steering | Far fewer complaints than other years |
| 2020 4RUNNER | 33 | 1 | 4★ | Unknown or Other | Far fewer complaints than other years |
| 2019 4RUNNER | 65 | 4 | 4★ | Unknown or Other | Fewer complaints than other years |
| 2018 4RUNNER | 58 | 5 | 4★ | Steering | Fewer complaints than other years |
| 2017 4RUNNER | 36 | 5 | 4★ | Unknown or Other | Far fewer complaints than other years |
| 2016 4RUNNER | 79 | 8 | 4★ | Electrical System | About as many complaints as other years |
| 2015 4RUNNER | 86 | 9 | 4★ | Air Bags | About as many complaints as other years |
| 2014 4RUNNER | 77 | 7 | 4★ | Electrical System | About as many complaints as other years |
| 2013 4RUNNER | 36 | 6 | 4★ | Unknown or Other | Far fewer complaints than other years |
| 2012 4RUNNER | 96 | 8 | 4★ | Air Bags | About as many complaints as other years |
| 2011 4RUNNER | 163 | 10 | — | Air Bags | More complaints than other years |
| 2010 4RUNNER | 146 | 12 | — | Air Bags | More complaints than other years |
| 2009 4RUNNER | 22 | 6 | — | Power Train | Far fewer complaints than other years |
| 2008 4RUNNER | 96 | 5 | — | Power Train | About as many complaints as other years |
| 2007 4RUNNER | 154 | 5 | — | Structure | More complaints than other years |
| 2006 4RUNNER | 381 | 5 | — | Structure | Far more complaints than other years |
| 2005 4RUNNER | 425 | 5 | — | Structure | Far more complaints than other years |
| 2004 4RUNNER | 678 | 2 | — | Structure | Far more complaints than other years |
| 2003 4RUNNER | 695 | 3 | — | Structure | Far more complaints than other years |
| 2002 4RUNNER | 225 | 1 | — | Structure | Far more complaints than other years |
| 2001 4RUNNER | 185 | 1 | — | Structure | More complaints than other years |
| 2000 4RUNNER | 483 | 0 | — | Structure | Far more complaints than other years |
| 1999 4RUNNER | 330 | 0 | — | Structure | Far more complaints than other years |
| 1998 4RUNNER | 250 | 1 | — | Structure | Far more complaints than other years |
| 1997 4RUNNER | 261 | 1 | — | Suspension | Far more complaints than other years |
| 1996 4RUNNER | 161 | 2 | — | Structure | More complaints than other years |
| 1995 4RUNNER | 172 | 1 | — | Engine and Engine Cooling | More complaints than other years |
More from Toyota: all Toyota models · Toyota VIN decoder
Frequently asked questions
Which Toyota 4RUNNER years should you stay away from?
By NHTSA complaints, 1997 (261), 1998 (250), 1999 (330), 2000 (483), 2002 (225), 2003 (695), 2004 (678), 2005 (425), 2006 (381) drew at least twice as many complaints as a typical 4RUNNER year. Counts are not adjusted for how many cars were sold, and newer years have had less time to collect complaints.
What is the biggest problem with the Toyota 4RUNNER?
Structure, with 1,789 complaints across 28 model years.
How many recalls does the Toyota 4RUNNER have?
44 safety recalls across all model years. Each model year page lists its recalls and fixes.